A Warning from a Pro

I got an email yesterday from a person called “Michael” (I will not use his last name.) that said, “Greg, I have been reading you for about two years now. I have read everything from $8/gallon gas to a total collapse of the dollar. You are the boy who cries wolf.” I sarcastically replied, “Michael, Please stop reading and go long the U.S. dollar. The economy is doing so well the Fed just announced zero interest rates until 2014. I guess I should do what the ratings agencies do and tell you about the downgrade just after things turn to crap. If you would have bought gold two years ago (like I have repeatedly said) you would have doubled your money, but what do I know. Thank you for the feedback and good luck with your normalcy bias. Greg”

I do not give trading advice, but I do give protection advice. Now, more than ever, you need to protect your wealth. This is not a money making trade. It is an insurance and protection trade and nothing else.

Listen folks, I get no pleasure in reporting that things are unraveling in the economy and in the geopolitical world. I don’t want to come off like “Chicken Little” which is why I use many sources and links in my posts. I want you to have the best information, and I want you all to know where it came from. World leaders in government and business have been sounding dire warnings at what seems to be an increasing rate. You can look back on this site and see for yourselves. I am not going to stop giving you all information I think is important, no matter how bad it is.

The latest warning comes from a real market professional named Ann Barnhardt. She closed her commodities trading business shortly after the bankruptcy of MF Global in October. Barnhardt thinks there was no way she could have protected her clients’ money from the same thing that happened to MF Global customers. $1.2 billion was taken from segregated customer accounts, and the assets are still “missing.” Ms. Barnhardt says it was stolen, plain and simple.

Barnhardt thinks the financial system is way beyond repair, and a financial collapse is on its way. She says that every commodities brokerage firm is doing the same thing MF Global was doing before it went bankrupt and calls the entire system a “house of cards” that is living on “borrowed time.” Barnhardt says the big banks are not only insolvent, but they are insolvent “multiple times over,” and you should get your money out before the you know what “hits the rapidly spinning rotors.” Remember, Barnhardt is an insider. She was not just a broker but a brokerage owner for many years. I think she knows what she is talking about, and you can ignore her at your own peril. (Please listen to her latest interview from a few weeks ago on Financialsense.com by clicking here.)

About the Author

Greg Hunter

Greg is the producer and creator of USAWatchdog.com. The site’s slogan is “analyzing the news to give you a clear picture of what’s really going on.” The site will keep an eye on the government, your financial interests and cut through the media spin. USAWatchdog.com is neither Democrat nor Republican, Liberal or Conservative. Before creating and producing the site, Greg spent nearly 9 years as a network and investigative correspondent. He worked for ABC News and Good Morning America for nearly 6 years. Most recently, Greg worked for CNN for shows such as Paula Zahn Now, American Morning and various CNN business shows.

Comments

peter01/26/2012 •

Hi Greg,

There are many people who do not want you to to provide us peasants with the truth. Do not be discouraged. I followed your advice and exchanged some bank shares for a few ounces of gold some years ago. The gold has doubled in value, best advice I ever received.
I understand that there are many clever people with access to government resources trying to prevent the inevitable, so it will take time for it all to unravel.
Keep reporting

Don’t forget Bill Gross put all of Pimpcos money on the sidelines , Georgy Boy Soros is making some “dire” future predictions , Gerald Celente got MF’D as he would say , Peter “Schiff was right” Schiff is calling for the collapse ,I believe Jim Rogers left the country for China years ago, as well did Max Keiser for Paris , and then throw in Ann Barnhardts warning coupled with Christine Lagard of the IMF throwing up more depressing news about every five minutes . There is very real reason to be in a defensive position .There are so many more but those are just off the top of my head ….throw in an Israel Air strike , A teetering Europe , a gridlocked Congress ,a return of the occupy movement, and possibly another year of wacky weather and you’ve got a recipe for uncertainty .

I am tired talking to other people about these same topics. Most people don’t care or have the attention-span of a fly. I hate to say it but I don’t identify with the majority of my fellow Americans. What is it that they see that I don’t? How can they behave with such obliviousness each day, while I am anxious with all of the news I hear? How can Americans continue to support these terrible politicians year after year? How can they not see socialism doesn’t and hasn’t worked throughout history?

I find myself not believing the polls put out by all main stream media. Even if I believed they weren’t biased, I fear what is cycling around in the average American’s mind.

I think it comes down to what we as Americans believe the role of government is in our lives.

Ultimately, those people that haven’t seen the signs of economic/social collapse will be the same ones asking for the government to feed them and provide for their every need. Those who have prepared by storing food and other supplies will be robbed by the irresponsible. Also, it is likely that the government will go door to door to gather all food and supplies to pool it and redistribute it as they see fit.

In this society it is the responsible that suffers while the irresponsible will get all the breaks in the name of equality. I am not talking about race here whatsoever.

Michael must be living in a cave, you have to nearly be deaf, dumb and blind to not see what’s going on in the world. I’m as skeptical and cynical as the anyone about a lot of things and I have never prepared for anything. But I’m here to tell you that all of that has changed for me. The MSM really has a lot of people hypnotized. And like a lot of other people, I hope the worst doesn’t happen. But just connect the dots and do the math and it’s right there in your face and it doesn’t look good. The folks that aren’t aware and prepared are just going to add to the problem. Michael, with all due respect I suggest that you open our eyes wider, tunnel vision has never worked for anyone. As a country we tend to repeat history, and if you know your history at all, it doesn’t get any clearer than the nose on your face.

Greg,
Sadly for Michael, he is in denial. You do not cry wolf you educate your readers and provide links to further help us understand the changing world. On the surface, thanks to the MSM (all owned by 6 companies) Americans are fed the party line of feel good news. They think we are children and if the tell us the moon is blue we will simply accept the lie.

You keep providing the real news, a lot more people are looking for it. You readers will tell them they can count on USA Watchdog for the truth.

In your defense, you don’t inject a whole lot of opinion into your articles. Most of what is said is said by respected people in their fields, and you just report on it. So if you are wrong that means a lot of higher ups are wrong also. A person does not have to buy into the fact that some event in life is coming down the road. Though, it may come their surprise to find out, in the end, that their beliefs do not stop anything. The only difference that it will ultimately make is that they, and they alone, are unprepared, whether it be a death of a loved one, a hurricane, or the ocassional economic collapse.

As a side note, on the occasion that you do inject opinion, it is very discernable from the facts that are being reported on so that there is never any question between facts and opinion, which I appreciate.

I’d like to thank Greg and all those that have done so much to inform the rest of us such as C2C, Alex Jones, GBTV and Ron Paul and all the brave guests that have appeared on these shows. Each of you adds your own unique perspective that helps us to more understand what’s going on.

Taking on the MSM and the utter and absolute ignorance out there is no small feat and know that you have reached so many of us and helped us to prepare and you should feel damn good with that. I know you all get so much criticism and thank you for your great diligence with keeping us informed.

While Ms. Barnhart’s assessment of what has happened with respect to MF Global is correct, I find that after viewing what she has on her website I cannot visit there again. It’s not personal; my religion forbids it.

I was taught to love my enemies, bless them that curse me, do good to them that hate me, and pray for them which despitefully use me, and persecute me. Without going into too much detail, I will say that I didn’t see anything on Ms. Barnhart’s site to indicate she had been taught such things or if she had, that she remembered them. To the contrary, I found the writing there heavily infused with hatred.

In the end the wolf does show up and the flock of sheep are killed.
A little rough on comparison but I get what Michael is saying.

I also hope that Michael is doing something to prepare for the troubles what awaits us all. Two years of reading is a drop in the bucket compared to years of complacency that has brought us to this point. Most only pay attention to the news of the day for a short time. Forgetting the details as time goes by. Yet there are those that are WIRED to retain this info, connect the dots and then try to warn others.
To prepare for an event or events that will alter our lives is consuming. Time and resourses that I wished I could have used elseware for fun are tied up in material and stores that may help my family and others should we need them. Once you have PREPS, then you must also maintain them. Might I say, “There’s the Itch”. Now it costs more money and time.
Not all of this is bad. I have learned to become self sufficient and to think outside the box. To give multiple uses to tooling and the thousand uses of Duct Tape. First Aid and cooking. Then I teach my skills to children to get them off the iPODS and texting that consumes their lives. Yes, I do leave out the world troubles for they have more than enough to cope with in their daily lives.
Over the years I have stood on the stump and spouted my warnings of doom and gloom. I have never told anyone to do something that I have not done myself. All that I asked was that they listen to what I had to say. And they remembered what I told them. It’s never too late to begin and you do not have to do it all.
My wife told me to stop talking. They do not want hear it. I can’t save them all. Pretty good advise.
If anything they are well informed about gold and silver,fractional banking, inflation, deflation, and the list goes. They are connecting the dots and are preparing, each according to their needs.
Get out of debt. Stay out of debt. Put something away for a rainy day. Maybe some gold and silver. Very sound advise. “Why should I”, is the question.
The information is here at USAWATCHDOG. What you do with it is your business. But for heavens sake.
Don’t shoot the Messenger!

The foregoing commenters are being too easy on Michael. The most logical reason for his denial (totally ignoring the “facts”, or the fundamentals of economic reality (I might add), is that he is a paid gov’t troll; I am seeing evidence of this on many financial sites.

Greg,
The truth and common sense are rarely appreciated and usually mocked. For those of us that know that the MSM won’t leave “public opinion” to chance-we have the “useful idiots” to tell us everything is fine.

Is the end in sight? Can you say bail out, porkulus, QE 1&2 and not think there is not something to the old saying: “The last official act of a moribund government is to loot the Treasury”. Continue the good work!

I know you catch hell all the time because we share the same message and have for over 5 years now. I can not tell you how many times I have had people tell me how paranoid I am and even unpatriotic to think America could be “That Country” It is purely American to recognize when we are going in the wrong direction and we are even instructed by our founding fathers to hold our government accountable for their actions. I have been living prepared for at least ten years and have benefited from it twice over when, as mow, I experienced unemployment. Because of thoughtful consideration of my finances and a willingness to prepare for disruptions in the normal way of life, My wife and I have not lost our home (Because we paid it off in 1999) and we have not had to drastically change the way we live. We provide a fall back position for our children should they need to come home to regroup and I can’t ask for anything more. I do not tell you this out of pride, but from a sense of thankfulness that I have received sound instruction over the course of life and have acted on it. Greg, We all have access to the same information but we have to choose who we listen too and how we respond. I have listened and responded not out of fear but out of prudence and would recommend it to anyone. Keep telling your side of the news and those that listen will benefit and those who do not will have an ample opportunity to look back in their past and see where they missed the warning signs. That’s a sorry position to find yourself in when it need not have been that way. But you will not be alone, that I can promise. Not a great conciliation. Phil

Michael’s e-mail reminded me of the parade scene near the end of Animal House during which Kevin Bacon is calmly urging the panicked spectators to “remain calm… all is well…” just before he’s trampled by the fleeing crowd.

Those who have prepared by storing food and other supplies will be robbed by the irresponsible. Also, it is likely that the government will go door to door to gather all food and supplies to pool it and redistribute it as they see fit.
*********************************************************************
“When things look bad and it looks like you’re not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb dog mean”.
Josey Wales.

What you and the comments made by many of your readers is true with regards to your article: ” A WARNING FROM A PRO “.

In my opinion, the comments made to you by ” Michael ” are wrong and he knows it. Michael must be engaged in or is connected to some person or entity that markets and sells a product[s] which needs a heavy dose of trust and confidence in the mind of a buyer.

Soid facts cannot be challenged nor disputed but opinions can and should be.

No one knows the day or hour BUT the trend is clear. I used to be amazed at how slow this train wreck is proceeding. It appears that the ‘change’ had to be either sudden or drawn-out. One option produces a quick violent radical outcome (a disadvantage to the imcumbancy)and the other allows for a repositioning of incumbent power. My bet is that the 1% that control the game are way ahead of the curve, not ignorant and design-control-implement the lemming mass-mind set. As usual, there will be 10% that see what’s coming and use defensive action. The other 89% (100-1-10=89) will react as usual. Look at history for unlimited examples. The fulcrum point was crossed with the $6T Tech Wreck stock market crash event in March 2000. Once the fulcrum-balance point is crossed the weight slowly falls at first but picks up momentum until, in this instance, it produces a grand-awakening event. Uncle Sam was on life-support throughout Greenspan and died unannounced with Bernanke. P.S.: The emperor has no clothes…

Don’t let the trolls get you down. The PM’s were downin December and have now resumed their mach upward to Sinclair’s angels. Ican only hope that there were a lot of people like me who used the dip as a great opportunity for “stacking and packing”! Gotr to love those Eagles and Maple Leafs!

I am astounded at the just plain ignorance of the American people today. I was reading the other day about the $2000 asset cap for people on food stamps when I realized this is how the government is stealing even from poor people. The $2K cap was established in 1980 and it has never been adjusted for inflation! If you add inflation into the mix the cap today would be about $5500. And if you look it the other way the $2K in saving only buys $750 of goods in todays inflated economy. I also looked at the min wage and found that the highest “actual” (adjusted for inflation) wage was in 1971 and it has come down to meet the nominal min wage of today……

inflation is just how Bernanke keeps pushing the tapped out economy along. He is creating the appearence of a recovery based on inflation in the hopes a natural bussiness cycle of growth will occur!

Wisdom and sanity are an almost impossible combination Greg, michael just so happens to chose sanity. Keep it up greg there will be few names that are synonomous with “patriot” when its all over and u will b one of those names

William,
I think this is yet another way the power brokers try to minimize this group. Yes, they have their problems, but their main focus is the crime and game rigging the financial elite have gotten away with. I find it odd that some people are more worried about this group (OWS)and downgrading it than the trillions in bailouts Wall Street got for causing the biggest financial meltdown and rip-off in all of human history. Thank you for your comment and question. When IRAs’ and 401-ks’ are robbed many very smug people will be singing a different tune. A robbery is coming! Just look at the way MF Global has been handled, not a single arrest in the 8th biggest bankruptcy in U.S. wiith more than $1billion in “missing” client asets. I know there are those more worried about some pot smoking kids which is a totally false narrative.
Greg

I wrote about this a while ago, but will repeat it again (editor permitting):

I was at a conference in Philadelphia in November 2011 and had a little time one day, so took a walk into downtown Philly – city hall area. I saw an “Occupy” group. I did not ONLY see a “bunch of druggies” hoping to legalize pot. Yes, there were a few of them, but not all. What I saw and listened to were a wide variety of folk.

As an example, I listened to a former veteran (two tours in Iraq) who had been in the military for 10+ years only to face the harsh reality upon leaving that his government was NOT going to help him. He told about being nearly homeless with a house in foreclosure, a wife/kids to support and difficulty in finding a job.

I believe people who THINK they know what the Occupy movement is all about should visit a group and witness it first hand. I know you’d be surprised! I am glad that the Occupiers are standing up and saying something about the corrupt system we are ALL living in! Remember the French!

Greg your way off here! You listed Ann Barnhardt as inlightened as ,your words, knowing what she speaks of but when she nails the Occupy bums you change your tune. Ive seen the bums first hand in my city, and my oh my talk about a motley crew of sad people, WOW.
Come on Greg!!

William,
We’ve been through this already. So let me get this straight, you are more offended by OWS than the bankers who have ripped off the country for trillions of dollars? AND got away with it??? Please stop watching FOX for all your information and perspective.
Greg

William,
You stop avoiding the real issue and that is the trillions of dollars in fraud perpetrated on the world by the bankers. I disagree with Ms. Barnhardt on the OWS movement. That doesn’t mean her other points are invalid. The point you are trying to make with OWS is tiny compared to the enormous issue of the big banks criminally looting the country and getting away with it! Please give it a rest. You are looking like a shill for the big banks.
Greg

Ann Barnhardt’s advice and commentary is interesting. She reminds me of Brooksley Born, who was a beacon of reason in a time when the ship was sinking. I admire Brooksley very much; however, one hardly hears of her anymore. I wonder what she’s thinking/doing today.

D A M N . . .I am liquidating everything I can. MF Global and Europe had me leaning that way anyway. I got good grades in money and finance but she has made a living at it for a long time. Did anyone bring up the government may have used an improper bankruptcy process as in the wrong process for a commodities broker. I spent a few hours researching and in the past decade, I cannot find where customer accounts could not be liquidated at will, even in bankruptcy.

We sail over here, murder the Native Americans,steal the land…enslave black people….murder hundreds of thousands of our own people to form a ” Union ” of states……now we have 3 Carriers in the Persian Gulf???….Government does not work…..never in the history of the world has government ever worked!!! We are no different than cavemen…

I am ashamed. Life for my 9 year old is supposed to be better than my own 9 year old days…..its 100% worse!!!! Higher taxes, no jobs, government abuse, dumbing down…..

Sorry Greg but that guys email was funny as heck. The only reason you are not seeing total collapse, $8 gas, governemnt bread lines and civil unrest is because the puppet master have gotten very good at putting on a happy face and getting their cheerleaders (MSM) to spin the latest BS numbers. As long as the general populace thinks everything is happy (I call this the sunshine and lollipop syndrome) then the economy will decline ever so slowly as it has been till we are at the edge of the cliff. Personally I’ll take yours and others advice and strap on my parachute. Thanks for all the good work.

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Greg is the producer and creator of Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com. The site’s slogan is “analyzing the news to give you a clear picture of what’s really going on.” The site will keep an eye on the government, your financial interests and cut through the media spin.

USAWatchdog.com is neither Democrat nor Republican, Liberal or Conservative. Before creating and producing the site, Greg spent nearly 9 years as a network and investigative correspondent. He worked for ABC News and Good Morning America for nearly 6 years. Most recently, Greg worked for CNN for shows such as Paula Zahn Now, American Morning and various CNN business shows.